The Animal Pass (4560 M) Trek in Himachal Pradesh's Parvati Valley is the perfect monsoon trek starting from the popular village of Tosh. The trek takes you along the roaring yet soothing Tosh river and takes you across meadows and grasslands of the Tosh Valley to reach the thrilling climb to Animal Pass. The pass presents you with amazing views of the Tosh glacier and the mighty Kullu Makalu Peak. The trek is best explored in the monsoon months of June to September when the entire landscape and the valley come to life. This trek is a moderate level trek that is meant for trekkers and adventurists with prior trekking experience. The Animal Pass trek is rarely trodden on and is offbeat thus making it perfect for those looking to beat the crowd and explore the hidden gems of the Himachal Himalayas. The best time for the Animal Pass Trek is from the months of June to September. Stay on this page for more information on the Animal Pass Trek.
Kasol to Tosh - 1 hr Drive. Tosh to Buddhaban (3020 M) - 5 hrs Trek
Today we start our day with a drive from Kasol to Tosh. We start our trek in the Tosh Valley starting from Tosh itself as the trail takes you through dense pine and oak forests along the roaring Tosh river. We reach the Buddhaban campsite which is a giant meadow that will take away your fatigue. Overnight in camps.
Buddhaban to Sharam Thach (3505 M) - 6 hrs
Today we start our trek after a good breakfast. The trail alongside Tosh river takes on an uphill climb towards the tree line and enters vast open meadows, rhododendrons and juniper trees. You will also come across waterfalls eventually reaching the campsite of Sharam Thatch. Overnight in tents.
Sharam Thach to Shamshi Thach (3800 M) - 5 hrs
Today we may have to trek and climb on patches of snow. The trek initially, may seem to be difficult. However, it is stunning as the sound of the Tosh river is quite soothing in spite of the roaring speed of the river. We then descend down to the campsite Shamshi Thatch which will give you amazing views of the Tosh glacier and the Kullu Makalu Peak. Overnight in tents.
Shamshi Thach to Animal Pass (4560 M) and back to Shamshi Thach - 8 hrs
Today we start early and take an arduous trek to reach the top of Animal Pass. The trail is steep with an uneven and rough gradient but the view from the top is absolutely stunning as one can see the likes of Devachan, Papsura and Dharamsura peaks along with the entire Deo Tibba range. We will make our way back to the Shamshi Thatch campsite and retire for the night.
Shamshi Thatch to Buddhaban (3020 M) - 6 hrs
Today's trek will be a total descend as we retrace our steps to head back to the campsite of Buddhaban. Overnight in tents.
Buddhaban to Tosh Village - 4 hrs Trek. Tosh to Kasol - 1 hr Drive
Today we will trek back to Tosh Village and board vehicles to drive back to Kasol. Expect to reach Kasol by late afternoon. We bid you goodbye here.
ID Proof (Soft Copy to be sent to us in Advance & original to be carried) and Medical Certificate (Soft Copy to be sent to us & original to be carried) are the mandatory documents required for this trek.
Since the trek starts from Kasol, to and fro journey has to be arranged by yourself.
Expect to reach Kasol late in the afternoon. Make sure your bookings from this point to your respective destinations are late in the night, post 1900 Hrs.
If you want to offload your rucksack, you will have to make a request for offloading a few days prior the trek through an email so that arrangement can be made in advance. You will be charged per day for offloading your rucksack. In case you decide to offload on the spot, you may have to pay a higher price than usual. However offloading your rucksack is not recommended since it is not a safe practice.
A team of participant will be led by a course certified trek leader and a local guide. All participants are requested to abide by what their leader says. There will also be a team of kitchen staff and porters on the trek. We maintain 1:8 ratio of trek leader and participants. All our trek leaders and staff have a certified training in first-aid and rescue operation.
It is not mandatory but it is more convenient with the pole. If you don’t want to buy one, you can rent it from us on minimal daily basis charges. You can request the renting link from us.
Manali has reasonable size market but because of immediate departure from Manali last minute purchasing might be difficult. Please do not leave anything for last minute buying.
Yes, it is absolutely safe for solo woman to travel in fix departures. Women on the trek will be sharing tent with each other. In case you are the only woman on the trek, you will be given a separate tent.
Yes, e-certificates will be given at the end of each trek provided that you completed it. It will bear your name, the trek, and the maximum altitude you achieved on the trek.
July and August: 15-10 deg celsius during the day and at night temperatures may drop to 5 deg celsius. Day temperatures in September will be around 7 deg celsius and at night temperatures will vary from 0-2 deg celsius.
Yes there will be snow on the pass.
We provide 4 seasons tents by Gipfel for higher altitudes which can easily withstand heavy snowfall and storms. They are spacious enough to accomodate 3 people at once with a vestibule to place the backpacks. Our sleeping bags are made up of Heatseeker Pro synthetic insulation that can provide you comfort in -10 degrees celsius. We also use additional fleece liners to have thermal efficiency even in the extreme temperatures of -17 degrees Celsius. If you carry your own sleeping bag, you will get a cashback reward provided that you inform us as soon as you have booked your trek.
Toilet tents will be provided to you on the trek. These are portable toilets tents where a deep pit will be dug. A shovel will be provided inside the tent to cover the waste after you have made your business. You can take a toilet roll inside. Make sure you dig used toilet paper along with the waste. Though water is recommended in place of toilet paper. Please refrain from using wet wipes as they are non-biodegradable. There will be no facility for bathing on the trek. Go through our blog section for tips on how to maintain personal hygiene on treks.
You will be provided with good quality of gaiters and microspikes from us depending upon the situation of the snow. Our trek leaders will also be carrying ropes and ice axe.
Vegetarian food will be served throughout the trek. The only non-vegetarian item served on our treks are eggs. Our kitchen staff follows a proper menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner which has been designed in order to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the participants. There will be milk, poha, eggs, muesli/corn flakes, bread and butter served for breakfast. Rice or simple roti sabzi will be packed for lunch. In dinner, you will have dal, egg curry or any other vegetarian dish along with rice, roti, and a dessert item. Packed lunch will be provided to you on the days you are trekking. You are requested to carry your own tiffin box and a mug to consume food. The meals consumed on journey and arrival day are not included in our cost.
You can rent following items from us- Trekking Pole, Trekking Shoes, Fleece Jacket, Rucksack.
On trekking days, all the trekkers will be accommodated in twin or triple sharing tents. Along with this, there will be also be a toilet tent and a dining tent installed at every campsite as we roll.
The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied by their parents or guardians. If you are above the age of 60, kindly carry a medical certificate from your doctor that deem you fit for adventure activities like trekking.
There are a number of places to visit around Kasol in the Parvati Valley. Manikaran, a pilgrim site with its hot springs is a famous attraction near Kasol. The waters of the hot springs are believed to have medicinal properties. There are plenty of hiking trails from Kasol to its surrounding villages like Choj, Chalal, and Rashol. One can also visit the quaint village of Tosh by a private or a shared taxi. A day hike to the famous Kheerganga, a spiritual destination with hot springs, can also be done from Barshaini.
The starting point of Animal Pass trek is from Kasol. Kasol is a hamlet in the Parvati valley of Himachal Pradesh. It is 520 km from Delhi. There are public buses running between Delhi and Kasol. Kasol is easily accessible through road, rail and air transport.
By Road: The distance between Delhi and Kasol is 520 km. There are frequent buses from Delhi to Kasol. Most of them are not direct buses so you will have to take an HRTC bus from ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi towards Manali and change the bus at Bhuntar (30 km from Kasol) and reach Kasol either by a local bus or a private taxi. There are very few direct buses from Delhi to Kasol but they are run by private companies. You can also hire a taxi or outstation cab from Delhi to Kasol.
By Rail: To reach Kasol by railways you have to get off at the nearest railway station to Kasol which is Joginder Nagar railway station, about 144 km from the village of Kasol. You can take a cab from the station to reach Kasol or a bus from the Joginder Nagar Bus Stand towards Manikaran which should take about 4.5 to 5 hours.
By Air: The nearest airport to Kasol is almost 31 Kms away, Bhuntar Airport located near Kullu. It is connected to three cities Delhi, Pathankot and Shimla. You can hire local cabs or private vehicles from there to reach Kasol.
There is no mobile reception after Tosh.
Click here for packing list.
July to September are the best months to undertake the Animal Pass Trek.
Animal Pass Trek is made only for experienced trekkers who want to test their limits. The challenges faced in the trek should not be underestimated. You should attempt this trek only if you have already done a trek that climbs to 3700-4300 metres. It is recommended not to opt Animal Pass trek if you cannot get acclimatized in high altitudes. Besides you need to have a strong physical endurance to complete this trek. On Bikat Scale Kalihani Pass Trek Difficulty level is 4. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale
One should have at least 7-10 trek days in the Himalayas in his/her kitty. Animal Pass Trek trek is more than 4500 meters, a person must have prior experience of trekking at altitudes of or more than 3700 meters.
How to use an Ice Axe
How to use Climbing boots & Crampons
How to rope up & follow queued climbing/descending
How to self-arrest using an ice axe
Knowledge of Basic First aid
Jog/Run for 5 Kms in 25-30 mins Or Walk continuously for 10 kms (with 3-4 small breaks) on plain terrain (slight incline is better) and
Hold your breath for 40 seconds and
3 sets of Climbing 30 – 40 steps in one stretch and
Push Ups – 10 and
Lunges & Squats – 15 X 2 sets
If you are not meeting these benchmarks, please use the preparation schedule to improve your fitness till you achieve the above benchmarks.
Our community is an integral part of us and we take pride in our trekkers and climbers. When you complete at least three days on any trek or expedition with us, you become eligible for our membership and referral programs.
For us, a successful summit is not about reaching the highest point of a mountain but about making it safely back to base.
Cancellations up to 30 days prior to departure date
5% Deduction
Between 30 days to 15 days prior to departure
50%
deduction
Less than 15 days of departure
No Cash Refund
Cancellations up to 5 days prior to departure date
No Deduction
Cancellations less than 5 days prior to departure
No Refund
Sarthak Madan 21 May 2021
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